Director's Message
Published in the RSAA Lunations
Vol1 Issue25 1–28 February 2022
Welcome back to RSAA for 2022!
Some of you have been back ‘at’ work for a while, but others are just returning from holidays. However, although SSO has been operating near-normally, at Stromlo few of us have been regularly on site so far this year, as until now ANU has been encouraging people to work from home where possible.
This situation will be changing from the start of first semester on Monday, 7 February, when ANU proposes that the default mode switches back to most people working on campus. The goal is to give students (and staff!) the campus experience they would like to have. Of course, this change will need to be implemented carefully in order to minimise the associated risks from COVID-19, but with the Omicron wave apparently receding, this seems an achievable goal. Nonetheless, people with special vulnerabilities or other sound reasons for minimising contact should talk to their supervisors so that we can try to accommodate their particular needs.
We have a lot to look forward to in 2022. For one thing, there will be more people joining RSAA: the School will be making two new faculty appointments and CGA also hopes to hire two new academic positions, while the AITC is looking to expand its workforce to allow it to carry out the increased number of projects on its books. Although SSO may not be expanding, it is great that all the AAT staff have had their contract renewed through to 30 June 2025, following the renewal of the AAT Agreement. Another new appointment is also a familiar face - please join me in congratulating Thomas Nordlander, who has been awarded the most recent Stromlo Fellowship. Last, but by no means least, we hope to soon see the arrival of new international students; please give them a warm welcome too.
In 2022 we will also be continuing with the School’s strategic planning process. This has continued to develop throughout the second half of 2021, albeit (due to COVID) more slowly than we planned. However, following the recent strategic workshops (and some still to come), most of the pieces of our new strategy are taking shape and we will be looking to complete the strategic plan by mid-year.
Another welcome change will be the re-opening of travel opportunities. I expect ANU will gradually loosen the restrictions on both domestic and overseas travel for staff and students, and similarly I hope that we will again be seeing more visitors coming to Stromlo. In particular, I anticipate that the Stromlo Distinguished Visitors program will be restarted in the second semester of 2022.
This will be my final year as School Director and I’m aiming to leave the School in the best possible condition for my successor (who is still to be determined!). One key step in that regard is finding an excellent person to replace Rafat as School Manager and bringing them up to speed on RSAA operations before the new Director starts. Rafat has done an outstanding job for RSAA, and will leave big shoes to fill, but I believe RSAA’s very positive reputation, both within ANU and more widely, should allow us to attract another good person for this critical role.
So, lots to hope for in 2022, and also lots to do!
Matthew Colless
